Flower and Season Tiles: Bonus Points Explained
Flower and season tiles are the bonus tiles of Hong Kong Mahjong. They’re set aside as soon as you draw them, replaced with new tiles from the wall, and can quietly add faan to your final score. Despite being simple in concept, they’re often misunderstood by newer players.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What Are Flower and Season Tiles?
A standard Hong Kong Mahjong set includes 8 bonus tiles: 4 flowers and 4 seasons.
Flower Tiles (花牌)
| Number | Flower | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plum Blossom | 梅 |
| 2 | Orchid | 蘭 |
| 3 | Chrysanthemum | 菊 |
| 4 | Bamboo | 竹 |
Season Tiles (季牌)
| Number | Season | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spring | 春 |
| 2 | Summer | 夏 |
| 3 | Autumn | 秋 |
| 4 | Winter | 冬 |
Each tile is numbered 1-4, and this number corresponds to a seat position.
How Seat Matching Works
Each bonus tile is associated with a wind position based on its number:
| Number | Wind Position |
|---|---|
| 1 | East (東) |
| 2 | South (南) |
| 3 | West (西) |
| 4 | North (北) |
If you’re sitting as East and you draw the Plum Blossom (Flower #1) or Spring (Season #1), those are your matching tiles and earn you bonus faan.
Faan Values
| Scenario | Faan Earned |
|---|---|
| Each matching flower or season | 1 faan per tile |
| All 4 flowers (regardless of seat) | Special bonus (varies by house rules) |
| All 4 seasons (regardless of seat) | Special bonus (varies by house rules) |
| All 8 bonus tiles | Limit hand in some rule sets |
Standard rule: Each flower or season tile that matches your seat earns 1 faan. Non-matching bonus tiles earn nothing in most standard rules, though some house rules award partial credit.
How to Handle Bonus Tiles During Play
When you draw a flower or season tile (either during the initial deal or during play):
- Reveal it immediately — Place it face-up in front of you
- Draw a replacement tile — Take one tile from the back (dead end) of the wall
- If the replacement is also a bonus tile — Reveal it and draw again
- Continue playing — The bonus tile sits in front of you for the rest of the round
Bonus tiles never stay in your hand. They’re always revealed and replaced. This means they don’t count toward your 13-tile hand.
Common House Rule Variations
Flower and season scoring is one of the areas with the most house rule variation. Here are common approaches:
Standard Rules
- Matching flower/season: 1 faan each
- Non-matching: 0 faan
- Complete set of 4 flowers: Bonus (often 2 additional faan)
- Complete set of 4 seasons: Bonus (often 2 additional faan)
Generous Rules
- Every flower/season: 1 faan each (regardless of seat matching)
- Complete sets earn extra bonuses
Strict Rules
- Only matching tiles earn faan
- No bonuses for complete sets
No Flowers
- Some groups remove flower and season tiles entirely, playing with 136 tiles instead of 144
- This is more common in competitive play and in Japanese Riichi (which never uses them)
Always confirm your group’s flower rules before playing.
Strategic Considerations
Flowers Are Pure Luck
Unlike every other faan source in mahjong, bonus tiles require zero skill or strategy. You either draw them or you don’t. They can’t be claimed from discards, and you can’t build toward them.
This randomness is actually part of the appeal — flowers can swing a marginal hand into winning territory or push a good hand toward the limit.
Impact on Minimum Faan
If your table plays with a 3-faan minimum, matching flowers can help you meet it:
- 1 matching flower + a 2-faan hand pattern = 3 faan (minimum met)
- 2 matching tiles + self-drawn = 3 faan (minimum met)
This makes flowers more valuable to the East player, who has the most matching opportunities in the early rounds.
Replacement Tile Wins
Drawing a replacement tile for a flower can occasionally give you a winning tile. Some rule sets award this as a special bonus — winning on a flower replacement is treated similarly to a self-drawn win with extra faan.
Kong and Flower Interaction
When you declare a kong, you draw a replacement tile from the same part of the wall as flower replacements. If that replacement happens to be a flower, you reveal it and draw yet another replacement. Chains of flowers and kongs can extend your turn significantly.
The Cultural Significance
The four flowers (Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo) are the Four Gentlemen (四君子) of Chinese painting and poetry. They represent the four seasons and noble qualities:
| Flower | Season | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Plum Blossom | Winter/Spring | Resilience |
| Orchid | Spring | Elegance |
| Chrysanthemum | Autumn | Integrity |
| Bamboo | Summer | Strength |
The season tiles more directly represent Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Together, the eight bonus tiles connect the game to traditional Chinese art and philosophy.
FAQ
Do flowers count as part of my hand?
No. Flower and season tiles are immediately revealed and replaced. They sit face-up in front of you but are not part of your 13-tile hand. They only affect your score if you win.
What if I draw a flower on my very last draw?
You still replace it from the wall. If there are no tiles left in the wall to replace it with, different groups handle this differently — some treat it as a draw, others have special rules.
Can I choose not to reveal a flower tile?
No. Flower and season tiles must be revealed immediately when drawn. You cannot keep them in your hand or choose to discard them.
Do non-matching flowers and seasons do anything?
In most standard Hong Kong Mahjong rules, non-matching bonus tiles earn zero faan. However, many house rules award 1 faan per bonus tile regardless of seat matching. Clarify this with your group.
Flowers can make or break a close hand. Download TileBuddy for free on the App Store to automatically track your bonus tiles and calculate their impact on your score.